Idaho’s Most Unique Job Is So Unique You May Not Have Heard Of It

At 2,140, Idaho has nearly 16 times "more 'forest and conservation technicians' than would be expected based on the national average."

Miguel Vieira
/ Flickr Creative Commons

Today’s trivia question: what does Idaho have a larger share of than any other state?

There’s a good chance you’re thinking “potatoes” right now, but according to Stateline it’s “forest and conservation technicians.” This branch of the Pew Charitable Trusts’ research team, has published a map of the most unique job in each state.

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At 2,140, Idaho has nearly 16 times “more ‘forest and conservation technicians’ than would be expected based on the national average.”

“Provide technical assistance regarding the conservation of soil, water, forests, or related natural resources. May compile data pertaining to size, content, condition, and other characteristics of forest tracts, under the direction of foresters; or train and lead forest workers in forest propagation, fire prevention and suppression. May assist conservation scientists in managing, improving, and protecting rangelands and wildlife habitats.”

In Idaho, the annual average wage for this job is $35,920. But if you’re thinking a career change that would keep you in the great outdoors sounds nice, BLS projects numbers in this field to drop slightly in the next few years. But BLS says demand for biomass and increasing numbers of people living in and around forests will help prospects for this job overall.

California and Oregon actually have more total forest and conservation technicians than Idaho. And Montana has a higher percentage of technicians compared to total population.

But according to Stateline’s map Montana’s most unique job is “loading machine operators in underground mining.”

As for Idaho’s other neighbors, Washington’s most unique job is, “aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging and systems assemblers.” Oregon’s is “logging workers.” Nevada’s is, no surprise, “gaming supervisors.” Utah has an unusually high number of, “continuous mining machine operators,” and Wyoming is high in, “extraction workers.”

Idaho’s unemployment rate dropped in November to its lowest rate in nearly seven years, in part because the labor force is shrinking.

Idaho Department of Labor spokesman Bob Fick says November's 3.9 percent jobless rate was down two-tenths of a point from October.

“There’s usually a decline in jobs from October to November and that decline was less than in the past and there continue to be people who left the labor force,” says Fick. “So the combination of steady jobs and lower labor force was responsible for driving down the unemployment rate under four percent.”